


Harmonic Dissonance

by Zaiker_42



Category: Love Live! School Idol Project
Genre: F/F, Humor [??], Mentioned NozoEli but it's like really far in the background, Nico/Maki with like a five-second cameo by Nozomi, Post-Canon, Romance [?]
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-19
Updated: 2016-10-19
Packaged: 2018-08-18 08:40:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8155990
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zaiker_42/pseuds/Zaiker_42
Summary: A "surprise guest" comes to visit Maki Nishikino and rudely interrupts her while she tries to do her homework.
Took her long enough.





	1. Harmonic Dissonance

**Author's Note:**

> ox·y·mo·ron  
> äksəˈmôrˌän  
> noun  
> noun: oxymoron; plural noun: oxymorons  
> a figure of speech in which apparently contradictory terms appear in conjunction (e.g., faith unfaithful kept him falsely true).

Maki Nishikino liked to consider herself a patient person. Sometimes.

 _This,_ however? This lovely summer afternoon? This was _not_ one of those times.

“You do that _one more time;_ and the two of us are going to have a _serious_ problem,” she practically growled at the first-year college student seated across from her at the table in their old shared club room, not even bothering to look up. The words hardly left her mouth when a second tiny rolled-up wad of paper pinged her right in the middle of her forehead.

“Do _what_ one more time, Maki-chan?” asked a broadly smiling Nico Yazawa in the most annoyingly artificial cutesy voice she could possibly muster. She even batted her eyelashes for additional effect.

Yes, Maki Nishikino considered herself to be _quite_ the patient person. Except -- of course -- when she had to deal with her ever-so-irritating senior, Nico, and her “antics”.

“Really?!” Maki snapped, standing up so quickly her chair threatened to crash to the ground. “Don’t you have anything more important you should be doing? Like your own homework, or studying?”

Nico’s wide, dazzling smile never faltered; but Maki could almost see the light being sucked from her eyes as she turned to look out the window. “It’s a beautiful day outside -- isn’t it, Maki-chan?” she asked, sighing wistfully.

Of course. Some things never changed, after all. “ _Nico-chan_! How do you expect to get by in college with that kind of work ethic?”

“It’s fine, it’s fine,” Nico insisted, fanning away the harshness of reality with a dismissive wave of her hand. “You’re smart; you’ll always be there to help me if I really need it, right?”

Maki frowned and sat back down, crossing her arms across her chest and clicking her tongue. “You’re really going to ask me that after purposely trying to tick me off?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

“How else was I supposed to make you pay attention to me?” Nico challenged, tearing her eyes away from the window to glare and point an accusatory finger toward Maki -- leaning over the table in order to do so. “You were just sitting there, doing your work like… like some kind of nerd!”

“Wha? A ner -- I’m just trying to be a good student!” Maki countered, lightly knocking Nico’s hand aside. “If you really wanted me to pay attention to you, you could have always just _asked_!” she said, a little more loudly than intended.

“Well, I -- wait, really? It’s that simple?” Nico asked, slowly pulling her outstretched arm back toward herself.

Maki froze. Out of habit, she began twirling a strand of her hair on her finger. The truth was: yes, really -- it absolutely would have been that simple. Of course she would have rather been paying attention to Nico than some stupid piece of paper. It had been ages since she had been able to spend time with her former clubmate for any significant measure of time. She could always do her homework at, well, home; but she only had so many fleeting chances to hang out with Nico.

Even if she kept flicking paper at her.

She just didn’t really want Nico to _know_ that was how she felt. The last time Maki said anything especially honest and emotional to her senior she had heard about it fairly regularly for a good three months. As much as Maki cared for Nico, the girl could be _incredibly_ frustrating at times. Like when she barged into the old club room unannounced like she owned the place. Just like she used to; back when Maki could have seen her whenever she wanted. When she didn’t have to miss her bright smile, and cute laugh, and her dumb poses, and all the good times they had together with _μ’s_ **,** and --

“You still with me, Maki-chan?” Nico snapped her fingers suddenly, pulling Maki from her thoughts.

“Y-yeah. Sorry,” _You should tell her how you feel. You’ve always been so bad at that._ “I was just… thinking,” she said finally, still playing idly with the strand of red hair in her fingers. She kept her gaze locked on the table so she wouldn’t have to make direct eye contact.

“‘Thinking,’ huh? About what?”

 _You, mostly._ “Nothing. Nothing important, anyway.”

Nico snorted, failing to properly stifle a laugh. “There’s something that hasn’t changed. You’re still a _terrible_ liar,” she said. Maki dared to glance up and regretted it almost instantly. The warm, genuine smile on Nico’s face made her heart skip a beat. Then -- in a widely successful attempt to make everything infinitely worse -- she followed up with: “You know; I really missed you, Maki-chan.”

Maki could practically feel her face burst into flames. She was surprised Nico had said something embarrassing like that so simply. Or was she? It was very... _Nico_ of her. She opened her mouth to speak, but Nico held up a finger as if to say she wasn’t quite finished.

“I mean it. It’s been too long since we’ve been able to spend time together like this, just the two of us,” Nico continued. She laughed again, but it was more sheepish than before. “Which _may_ have made me feel like being a little bit selfish today. Sorry about that. But Maki-chan should know better than anyone else just what she does to me!”

That last part sure didn’t do any favors for Maki’s brain function. “I-I-I,” she sputtered; her mouth moving before her brain could step in and properly put a stop to it. “I… I actually really missed you, too, Nico-chan,” she admitted, eyes focused on the wall behind Nico. She could still feel the heat in her face.

“Oh, be still Nico-Nii’s beating heart!” Nico cried, clutching her chest. “Nico almost forgot how cute Maki-chan could be! How nice!”

Aaaaand now Maki was even more embarrassed. “Shut up! _This_ is why it’s so hard to be honest with you!” Maki huffed, crossing her arms and turning her body to face the club room door. “I can’t say anything without you endlessly teasing me about it!”

“You know, it might _just_ be harder to tease you about being honest if it was a more regular thing.”

“Somehow I doubt that.”

“Nico’s serious!”

“I doubt _that_ even more.”

Nico’s mouth opened like she meant to say something, but she closed it back and sighed. “No, no; I kind of walked right into that one so you can have it. But really, Maki -- if you were more honest with me then I wouldn’t have to sit here and bare my soul to you just to get so much as a response. It’d be easier on both of us.”

“Like I said: it’s not just that easy!” Maki argued; still avoiding eye contact. She didn’t know when she’d started playing with her hair again.

“Maybe it would be easier if you had more time to practice.”

Maki slowly turned toward Nico again. “What are you suggesting?”

Nico scoffed. “Come on, Maki; it’s not rocket science. Though, honestly, even if it _was_ I’d be surprised if you didn’t get it. What I’m suggesting is that we get together like this more often, just you and me -- like we used to! That way _you_ can practice being honest and _I_ can practice not teasing you for it!”

Maki hesitated, not sure how to think about what any of that might imply. “I don’t know, Nico-chan.”

“What do you mean? Are you telling me you don’t want to spend more time with the lovely Super Idol Nico-Nii?” Nico asked, her bottom lip jutting out in a very exaggerated pout.

“I mean; not really,” Maki replied, shrugging. “I’d prefer the slightly less obnoxious Yazawa Nico, if I’m really being honest here.” _Doing better already! Maybe!_ “But that’s not what I meant. You have your college stuff to do and I have my own schooling to think about. We can’t just blow that off to hang out.”

“Ha!” Nico barked out a laugh, confidently crossing her arms. “You could do _your_ stuff in your sleep; and compared to when I had to juggle schoolwork and taking care of my brother and sisters this whole college thing is a cinch!”

“But before, didn’t you say -- “

“Never mind what I said ‘before,’ Maki-chan!” Nico interrupted, once again pointing her finger right in Maki’s face. “Listen to what I’m asking now! Do you, or do you not, want to spend more time with me? And remember: be honest!”

Maki didn’t really want to seem it; but already had her answer. “Yes. I do. Spending more time with you sounds very nice. As long as you promise not to be such a pain all the time.”

Nico grinned widely and triumphantly. “I will do no such thing!”

An alarm on Maki’s phone went off and both girls’ eyes were drawn to the screen. The display showed that it was already five o’clock. How long had they been talking? She would have to head home soon. As much as she’d rather not right now.

“I… have to go home soon. I should get back to my homework. Do as much of it now as I can. I’ve let you distract me long enough, Nico-chan,” Maki said, forcing her head back down toward the table in an attempt to focus on the paper in front of her. She had forgotten she was working on something. _What class was this even for?_

To Maki’s surprise, Nico simply hummed in agreement. “You’re absolutely right. You’re in school right now, so you should focus on your schoolwork.” Maki looked up in confusion just in time to see Nico’s confident smirk. “There’ll be plenty of time for the great Nico-Nii to distract you some _other_ time, since you’re so up for it. How’s this Saturday look for you?” she asked, tilting her head slightly.

“Wh-what?” was all Maki could say, her head snapping back up so fast she could have sworn she gave herself whiplash. She wasn’t aware they had decided on anything so soon, but here Nico was; being Nico.

“Perfect! I’ll pick you up at four o’clock, so make sure that you’re ready by then!” Nico declared as she stood, throwing her bag over her shoulder and heading for the club room’s door. “It’s a date!” she called out, waving a swift goodbye to the flustered wreck behind her.

“B-but; what about…? Wait! Nic -- ” _Slam_. Maki never stood a chance once Nico had made her decision. She sighed heavily and slumped back in her seat, homework completely abandoned and forgotten in light of recent events. She propped her elbows up on the table and rested her chin in her hands.

Great. Now she was going to have to make more work for herself and pick out a cute outfit. She couldn’t just _not_ put any effort in after all that, now could she?

 _Stupid Nico_ , Maki thought, a smile tugging at her lips. Yes, some things never changed -- and if she were to be perfectly honest -- she was just fine with that.


	2. Minutes Later... [Epilogue]

Nico Yazawa liked to think she was pretty well put-together. Super Idols have to be, after all!

But _this_ ; this lovely late summer afternoon? She felt a little less so.

“How did it go, Nicocchi?”

Nico jumped back, startled by the sudden appearance of her old friend Nozomi Toujou. Of course she _shouldn’t_ have been since she had actually asked her to come along the morning prior, but she had _other things on her mind right now, thank you very much!_

Nozomi laughed at her friend’s reaction. “That bad, huh? Or... that good?”

Nico rolled her eyes. “Don’t act like you don’t already know, Nozomi. I bet ‘the cards' told you how it would go before I even went in there!” she said, glancing at the tarot card Nozomi currently held in her hand.

Nozomi smiled innocently and slid the card back in the deck she always seemed to procure from whatever hammer space she seemed to have some bizarre mythical connection to. “I have no idea what you mean, Nicocchi!”

“ _Sure_ you don’t. Never mind that, now -- you’re coming shopping with me,” Nico declared, turning to walk toward the nearest train station. If she was going to buy something fresh for her date this Saturday, she wasn’t going to settle for anything less than that fancy store that had opened up near the station by the college the two were attending.

“Oh? What’s the occasion?”

“I’ll tell you all about it when we get there. Just know that the great Nico-Nii needs your help picking out an outfit!”

Nozomi giggled as she followed behind Nico. “Can I invite Elicchi?”

“Eugh; no! I don’t need you two being all _gross_ while I’m trying to focus on my own thing!”

“Too late!” Nozomi said, holding up her phone to show that “Elichika <3” had already received an invitation.

Nico puffed out her cheeks and groaned. “Perfect.”

“Oh, relax! Trust me, Nicocchi -- it’s going to be fine! We’ll work together find you a nice, cute little number that’ll _really_ get Maki-chan going! It’ll be swell!”

Even as Nico lightly punched Nozomi’s shoulder, insisting that “It’s _not_ like that, geez!” she knew that Nozomi was right. It would be fine.

Unless they did end up being gross the whole time. Then it would just be awful.

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't finished anything I've written in years. This is definitely an oddity.
> 
> Also I still feel that I'm still really bad at it. Writing, romance, the works. But it's actually done, so up it goes!


End file.
